Science Daily — The 3,000-kilometer-long Transantarctic Mountains are a dominant feature of the Antarctic continent, yet up to now scientists have been unable to adequately explain how they formed.

In a new study, geologists report that the mountains appear to be the remnant edge of a gigantic high plateau that began stretching and thinning some 105 million years ago, leaving the peaks curving along the edge of a great plain.
This study revolutionizes thinking about Antarctica’s evolution. Previous studies have discussed ways in which the mountains may have risen; the current study says they were already high long ago, and that the adjacent land sank. After the mountain chain was isolated, its topography, with summits up to 4.5 kilometers high, was accentuated by erosion caused by glaciers.Tags: agocausededgeLandlongMountainsstudytheyTransantarcticup

This one from Tejvan Pettinger for PickTheBrain.com covers the benefits of meditating regularly and how to get into it as a beginner. Even on the most basic level, meditation is beneficial. The best idea, I think, is not to think of it as religious or spiritual, but rather use it for contemplation and relaxation.

Many people like the idea of meditation, but feel they don’t have enough time. When you really want to do something you can find time. Get up earlier or watch 30 minutes less TV. Meditation requires an investment of time, but clearing the mind makes the the rest of the day more productive. Nothing is better than the feeling of inner peace. What is the point in being tremendously busy but unable to enjoy it?

To promote the launch of the first full-length Simpsons feature film, Burger King and Fox have created The Simpsonizer. Woo-hoo!

Go to simpsonizeme.com, upload a photo of yourself and the application analyzes your face, turning you into an honorary Springfield resident. There’s a picker tool to help you dial in the details once your photo has been Simpsonized.

Here are some tips from trial and error:

1. The site is under a heavy load, so if you keep getting errors, try again.2. Your picture needs to be at least 640×480, but bigger is better. Go for 800×600 to be safe.3. 72dpi is OK, but again: bigger is better.4. Straight-on head shots are all that seem to work. If you get errors, go into Photoshop and pump up the contrast settings. The more, the better.5. While in Photoshop, removing any random items behind your head will also improve your results, especially if they have a lot of texture. A white wall works, but things like bricks, trees and skylines need to go.

The next best thing to becoming an astronaut is to listen to one recount her experiences in space

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams talks about her experiences in space to Indian students through a video conference.

Getting to watch 16 sunrises in 24 hours sounds like a good enough reason to want to become an astronaut. Flying, space walking and living with people from different countries makes it seem an experience too tempting to pass up. But, since not all of us can become astronauts, the next best thing would be to listen to one recount her experiences in space.

The air was filled with delicious excitement at the US Consulate here on Friday, as school and college students waited for the digital conference with Sunita Williams, an American astronaut of Indian origin. Scientists, teachers, journalists and students in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai were all part of the conference.

“I almost forgot what it was like to walk,” Ms. Williams said, describing her experience of flying within the International Space Station, holding on to railings with hands and feet.

Living in the station from last December till this June was an “extraordinary experience,” she said. Various experiments were conducted at the station, including one on nutrition where the astronauts gave samples of their blood and urine for testing to determine how their food and exercise affected their bone density. They also grew plants and wrote journals, Ms. Williams said.

In response to a question from a student in IIT, Chennai, she said all her hard work and persistence had paid off in the end. “The ride on a rocket was totally worth it,” she said, laughing. It was the culmination of hard work and luck, she added.

Growing up in a household of two different cultures, she had taken the good qualities of both, Ms. Williams said. Her hard work and persistence came from both cultures, and her father served as her role model, she said, answering another Chennai student’s question.

Other school students from Chennai questioned Ms. Williams on her re-adaptation to earth, and how astronauts dealt with time. At the end of the conference, a quiz was held for the students. The winner, Pooja Seth from Sacred Heart School was presented with a book on Sunita Williams.

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